Congress has its own set of rules for sexual misconduct, The Washington Post reports. The unique code of conduct stems from a 1955 decision by Congress to enact a multi-step process for sexual harassment complaints that is not used anywhere else in the federal government, the Post explained, nor in most areas of the private sector.
Per Congress' rules, a claimant has 180 days after the alleged incident to file a complaint with the Office of Compliance. This requires the accuser to call the office to obtain a special password to access the complaint form. After filing, the claimant spends one month in counseling and another in a mediation phase. The process is confidential for both the accuser and the accused, and an entire congressional office has been devoted to ensuring that cases are not handled in the courts.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Today's political cartoons - October 13, 2024Sunday's cartoons - the swing of things, fear of facts, and more
-
5 timely cartoons about climate change denialCartoons Artists take on textbook trouble, bizarre beliefs, and more
-
Kris Kristofferson: the free-spirited country music star who studied at OxfordIn the Spotlight The songwriter, singer and film-star has died aged 88
-
The life and times of Kamala HarrisThe Explainer The vice-president is narrowly leading the race to become the next US president. How did she get to where she is now?
-
Arizona kicks off swing-state early votingSpeed Read The voting began with less than a month to go before the presidential election
-
Biden, Netanyahu talk ahead of Israeli hit on IranSpeed Read The pair spoke for the first time since August
-
Trump kept up with Putin, sent Covid tests, book saysSpeed Read The revelation comes courtesy of a new book by Bob Woodward
-
Liz Cheney campaigns with Harris in WisconsinSpeed Read The pair does not agree on much politically, but they share an anti-Trump stance
-
Biden, Harris visit storm-hit North Carolina, GeorgiaSpeed Read President Joe Biden and Kamala Harris took separate tours of the south to view the catastrophic damage from Hurricane Helene
-
Jack Smith filing details Jan. 6 case against TrumpSpeed Read The special counsel's newly unsealed brief argues Trump is not immune from prosecution and gives new details on his efforts to overturn the election
-
Will 'weirdly civil' VP debate move dial in US election?Today's Big Question 'Diametrically opposed' candidates showed 'a lot of commonality' on some issues, but offered competing visions for America's future and democracy
